


Master Of The Seas

by AsagiStilinski



Series: Pridecember 2019 [11]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pirates, Pridecember, Sirens, Supernatural Elements, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22047913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: Seto Kaiba had always wanted to be a pirate, ever since he was a child, and he'd always prepared for the fact that a pirate's life was inevitably a short life...He just never prepared for that life to come to an end due to a siren... or... will it?
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi
Series: Pridecember 2019 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560421
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Master Of The Seas

**Author's Note:**

> Day 11- "'Folklore", I've been reading Lucy Camui's "A Siren's Call" and this was definitely influenced by it https://archiveofourown.org/works/12657330

Seto Kaiba, Captain of the Blue Eyes Ship, long held the title of the most feared pirate captain in all the seven seas

Ruthless and skilled, many had tried to strip him of his title, but to no success

He took no prisoners and spared no mercy, and he had the skill to back up the attitude

With a razor sharp sword and a steady trigger finger, proficiency in hand to hand combat and a genius level of talent in strategizing and leadership, none who tested him thus far had so much as made it out alive

For years, no one thought that anyone could

They believed Seto Kaiba's reign would go uninterrupted for the foreseeable future, until finally nothing but old age would claim him

They were wrong

For as skilled a pirate as he was, there was one enemy that Seto Kaiba could not take on with a gun or a sword or even his fists: The sea

All those at sea were at her mercy, and no matter how much carefull planning and course setting was involved, if the sea wished to best you, she ultimately would

This was what happened to the great pirate captain one summer night, when a storm came seemingly out of nowhere and disrupted his smooth sailing

The waters turned turbulent, and no matter how fast he acted or how much care he put into trying to save his ship, ultimately, the sea had her way with him

The massive ship was tossed about like a dingy, men falling overboard left and right, but even at the end, even when he was the only one aboard, Seto Kaiba still refused to abandon ship

As the waves tossed again and the ship finally tilted over, the pirate captain being tossed ruthlessly into the violent waves of the water, he could swear that he could see something looming overhead as he was splashed down into the waves

Something that looked... vaguely humanoid but.... but with massive wings....

An angel, perhaps, if Seto had believed in any such thing, or thought that his life was worthy of any kind of heaven to seek after it

But he didn't believe and he didn't think and so when he went under the waves he allowed the water to consume him

There was no fighting a sea this violent, and especially without any life boats or other hopes of preserving himself should he, by some miracle, float to the surface

Better he thought, to close his eyes, and die with dignity

~+~

When Seto gasped awake, he was immediately met with throbbing aches all throughout his body

He had never been so sore in his entire life

He let out shaky exhale, carefully sitting up and surveying his surroundings

The first thing he noticed was that he was no longer on his ship- or, any ship apparently...

The second was that he was _alive_

He had forgotten, breifly, the events of the night before, the pain in his body and the fogginess of sleep too much to let him hold on to his conscious thoughts

It wasn't until he realized that he was no longer aboard his ship that the memories all came rushing back to him, like a wave, crashing into his body

"Fuck...." he breathed quietly, wondering distantly how he had survived such a torrential fate as he began to survey his surroundings

His head was ringing and he felt sluggish and miserable, but he still forced himself to his feet, even though doing such a thing caused him to feel suddenly light-headed

He was on solid ground, he noted, apparently- seemingly- on a cliff-side

How in the hell had he gotten up there...?

Narrowing his eyes, he took a step forward, only for his exploration to be suddenly halted by a voice

"I wouldn't do that if I were you,"

Jerking his head up, he spun around, almost losing his balance as he reached on instinct for his sword or pistol, only to find neither adorning his sides

It didn't really matter though, once he actually registered the sight of the creature in front of him, he found himself too entranced to do anything anyway

The creature was stunningly beautfull, with dark tan skin, massive wings with feathers in all shades of gold, black, and red, markings decorating his body splotched in the same shades, looking almost like some sort of tattoos or ink, like he had painted himself

His hair was in the same magnificent palette, in some sort of strange, spiky arrangement, and his eyes.... they were wide and angular, bright sunset red...

He was the most beautifull thing Seto had ever laid eyes on

"The cliff will sneak up on you quicker than you may be able to anticipate," he noted, taking another step closer to the pirate

Seto gritted his teeth, his heart racing, caught somewhere between afraid and.... in _awe_

He knew now- now that he could see the wings- exactly what he was facing....

_A siren_

Creatures known well for sinking ships, for drowning sailors, for being the devastation to every man who'd ever touched the sea

And there was one right in front of him

Seto knew he was outdone

Even if he _could have_ fought the creature head-on- wich every tale from every sailor he'd ever met explicitly told him would be impossible- he lacked the weapons to do it

He was at the bird's mercy

"What do you want with me?" he snipped defensively, his eyes narrowed in anger and annoyance at the winged beast

"What do I... want... with you..?" the siren repeated, blinking in surprise and confusion

"Yes.... you saved me from the storm, didn't you? You brought me here? Sirens aren't known for letting humans live, so what is it that you want? Why would you keep me alive? What do you gain from it?"

The siren almost looked.... _disappointed_.... about that

He looked _sad_

His shoulders fell and he just looked so put out....

But Seto wasn't going to fall for it

It was just a siren trick, a manipulative tactic to get him to let his guard down so that the creature could take him for anything he had

Not that Seto knew what that would be, humans were usually better off dead than alive in these situations...

Perhaps the siren fancied himself a servant or something, disturbingly enough....

"I do not 'want' anything," the creature said firmly, feathers rustling with clear annoyance and distaste

"All I _want_ is to heal you, to see that you live, that's all,"

"Really?" Seto asked skeptically

"Then why save me and not one of the others? Why save me instead of someone else?"

"Because you're who I COULD save!" the siren bellowed back in irritation

"Because you were the only one I could reach and I could only carry off _one_ person, you humans aren't as light as you seem to think,"

His feathers were bristling, his nose wrinkling in distaste and frustration before slowly seeming to calm himself

"I just wanted to help.... in some way,"

Seto pursed his lips, part of him feeling a bit bad for jumping to conclusions... but the other part of him remained fairly steadfast in his approach

This was a siren, after all, a creature who's entire nature was built around manipulating circumstances to his own gain, he couldn't be trusted that easily

But....

Seto could sense sincerity in him, or atleast something that _felt_ like sincerity, and he found himself drawn to it...

And in fairness, there really was no other reason for the siren to have taken him alive and not tried to eat him yet...

"My crew..." he said after a beat, turning breifly away from the siren

"They're all dead, aren't they?"

The siren's wings lowered, his expression grim and even seeming sympathetic

"They are, as far as I'm aware atleast," he said softly

"I'm sorry, I wish I could have helped more, _saved_ more... but perhaps... perhaps you could think of this as a sort of new beginning, a new start, you can leave the pirate life if you wish, and start somewhere new,"

"I don't want to quit the pirate life," Seto replied with a quiet huff

"I want to stay as I am,"

"Ah... then I apologize if my suggestion has offended you,"

Seto shook his head, moving to sit carefully near the edge of the cliff

"No, no offense, just.... I'm unsure of where to go from here, how would I even get down from this cliff?"

The siren chuckled softly, moving to carefully sit down next to Seto, seeming natural at the cliff's edge, as all birds did

"Well, I would take you, ofcourse,"

"Ofcourse," Seto parroted back with a hint of sarcasm and dryness

He still didn't trust the siren, really, and why should he?

Sirens had been the deaths of men- and especially pirates- for centuries, that showed no signs of stopping, so why should he just suddenly believe that this siren would be different from any other? Why would Seto trust him with his life?

.....

Except.... intentionally or not, Seto already _had_ trusted the siren with his life

The siren had rescued Seto from the brink of death, didn't that count for anything?

Besides, it wasn't like there was any way for Seto to get down without the bird's help anyhow, the cliff was incredibly steep, he was so high up that there was no chance in hell of him climbing down and even if he did, they were right on the water's edge, there was nowhere for him to go

"I guess I don't have much choice, do I?"

The siren chuckled, grinning softly, his teeth pointed and sharp, perfect for ripping the flesh off of human bones, and yet there was something about it that looked oddly beautifull, despite the danger of his features, they were no less stunning to look at

"Not so much," he replied joyfully

"Ofcourse," Seto huffed back, peering out over the skies and taking a deep breath of salt-filled ocean air

Ever since he was a child, he had dreamed of being a pirate

Never put off by the danger or the loneliness or the ruthlessness that would be involved, he dreamed of making his way at sea and being the terror of the queen's guard

He had always hated the government, the royal line, his adoptive father had been a general in the navy, and Seto had dreamed of nothing more than to become his greatest enemy

Mission well accomplished

The pirate's life had always treated him well, even when it nearly killed him- the siren next to him was a perfect example of that

He would never give up his life at sea

He would rather die a pirate than live a normal life on the land

"I'll need a new ship," he commented, more to himself than to the siren

"And a new crew,"

"Shouldn't be hard for a pirate to obtain," the siren hummed

"I wouldn't be so sure, I'm a wanted man, not typically welcome at port nor well received on another vessel, and I refuse to work for anyone else,"

"Captain or nothing hm? I can respect that," the siren mused, climbing to his feet, wings spreading out wide and showing off their brilliant colors, the deep blood red touched with an under layer of raven black and tipped in shimmering gold

_Stunning_

"I'll help you then,"

"You'll help me?" Seto asked skeptically

"Yes, I'm a siren after all, I'm very skilled in crashing ships and destroying crews, I'll catch a ship for you and get rid of any members of the crew that don't wish to serve beneath you,"

"And why would you do that?" Seto huffed

"It sounds like fun," the siren replied with a toothy grin, reaching out and offering Seto his hand

"I am Atem, and I will _gladly_ be your co-captain, to who do I have the pleasure of serving with?"

Hesitant, but knowing that there were few other options, he took Atem's hand and gave it a firm shake

"Seto Kaiba,"

"Well then, Seto Kaiba," Atem purred, leaning forward, his smirk widening, more predatory now

"I think you and I will make a great team,"


End file.
